The 2015 International Day of Peace has been marked in Lagos with fanfare as youths, government and NGO partners trooped to the street to ‘Walk for peace’.
The peace day observance, which started with a press briefing, was addressed by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Funlola Odunlami and the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja.
The conclusion of the press briefing marked the beginning of an exciting ‘Walk for Peace’ as organised by UNIC in Lagos and Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC).
Delivering his message on the theme for 2015 observance – ‘Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All’, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, called on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe a global ceasefire.
“To them I say: stop the killings and the destruction, and create space for lasting peace.” The Secretary-General who was represented by the Director of UNIC Lagos further said: “There is no group more poised to help realize this dream than today’s young people. They are part of the largest generation of youth in history, more aware and connected than any before.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Ambode thanked the UN Information Centre for the partnership and pledged that the CMC would adopt the International Day of Peace as an annual event to propagate the ethos of peaceful co-existence among residents in Lagos State.
Flagged off by Mrs Odunlami and led by Mr Kayanja and the CMC Director, Mrs Oluwatoyin Odusanya, the road show started from the Lagos State Secretariat Alausa, Ikeja through Obafemi Awolowo Way and terminated at Ikeja-under-bridge where a citizens’ mediace dayation session was held by the CMC, an agency of the Lagos State government under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice.
The CMC serves as a non-adversarial dispute resolution Centre using mediation mechanism in dispensing justice fairly and speedily to the satisfaction of both parties.
With participants numbering over 100 and clad in branded T-shirts, dancing to contemporary songs, to the admiration of members of the public, the ‘Walk for Peace’ road show stopped intermittently at intersections to give room for professional dancers to entertain while leaflets with peace building messages were shared with members of the public.
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